Interlocking demountable container



May 9 1967 1 F. MGDONALD INTERLOCKING DEMOUNTABLE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 28, 1964 May 9, 1967 1 F. MGDONALD 3,318,474

INTERLOCKING DEMOUNTABLE CONTAINER Filed Aug. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Office 3 ,3 18,4 74 Patented May 9, 1967 3,318,474 INTERLGCKING DEMOUNTABLE CONTAINER Lawrence F. McDonald, 25 Mountain View Ave., East Greenbush, N.Y. 12061 Filed Aug. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 392,784 1 Claim. (Cl. 217-12) My invention is a quickly interlocking demountable container, which, in its assembly, can be put together as fast as it can be taken apart, all by one person. It includes the method of assembly and the method of container disassembly, as well as my special procedure of packing said container with goods, or goods during their manufacture, or goods that are about to be shipped and doing this at high speeds. According to my new method of packing goods already piled in my container bottom members, these bottom members, when loaded with goods, can have the rest of my container quickly surround them. Goods to be contained completely do not have to be packed in the old fashioned way, that is, piece by piece in their placement in my container. They can also be brought in the container to a piling or stacking point in a warehouse, all container members but the bottoms can be easily and quickly removed, whereupon, they can then be stacked, one on the other, and, from 'this point can be later brought down from their piled up or stacked condition, and then have side container members and top container members promptly inserted in and interlocked around the bottom members, and the sides and the top of the contents to be contained are in this way then promptly enclosed. This recited method of manufacturing, assembling, and packing goods in container bottoms, containing them by the placement of the sides and tops of the container on and over Vthe coutainer bottoms, unpacking the goods for warehouse stacking, stacking in the warehouse, de-stacking and containing goods, say, for reshipment, is a procedure I have never seen or heard of before.

By its construction alone the seven members of my container completely interlock without any pins or nails needed in this effort. The bottom members interlock with all four sides, these sides interlocking with each other, then the bottom members by means of all four sides interlock with the top two members which inter lock with the side members, and in doing this tighten to grip the bottom member, on the side members. The only locking device required is that which joins the two top members together, so they can not be taken apart from their interlocking position, interlocked with the side members. I may use a locking means which firmly holds one of the top members to one or two of the side members. This is also my invention.

A further object of my invention is the development of a method and means for the quick assembly and disassembly and the knocked down Hat shipment of my interlocking demountable container which lends itself to the rapid packing and unpacking of contained goods and accomplishes the more rapid delivery of my container in its knocked down flat condition as well as its reshipment back to its place of origin from any destination to which it was shipped. Compact knockdown at shipment of my container is achieved either by the all-around strapping together of the seven container parts (or any parts of the same), but it can -be successfully performed by locked (padlocked) loops of wire, rope, cable or lchain that hold the container parts together, as well as holding several sets of containers in their down and looped together condition. Piles of my knocked down flat containers occupy little space compared with the same containers assembled and ready for shipment. Nailing is unnecessary on containers assembled or disassembled.

My containers lend themselves especially to the shipment of delicate or heavy machinery or other complete articles already iixed to the base, since their bottoms may be made heavy and sturdy (and palletized) and the upper portions of the container can be of comparatively light weight. My containers in their knocked down at condition lend themselves particularly to being strapped together with bands or straps of steel or other strapping materials. The fact that they can be knocked down and shipped in s-uch a flat condition means that it is frequently possible to cut in half the freight costs of reshipment back to their starting point. They (my containers) are well adapted to land, water or aerial shipments. Most previous containers, for example, those made of wood or having wooden parts, have depended on nails or screws to hold them tightly together. My container needs nothing of this kind. Pins through the corner members are totally unnecessary.

If I palletize the bottoms of my containers or build the container bottoms as pallets, I reserve the right to put nails into the pallets when they are made (or manufactured) at the factory, just as the flanges or cleats are nailed along the edges of the top members, the sides and the bottom member. But this pertains only to the production initially of my container, and not to its later usage when it is used to ship merchandise here and there. From the drawings it will be noted just how, when the two top members are pressed down into position, this picks up the bottom member and holds it closer, as it embraces the four side members. All of these features are also part and parcel of my invention. A

Then too, my container can be much more than merely a container in which to pack goods for movement or for shipment. It can be in its small size) an interesting and educational toy; it can be a crate, box or other type receptacle, or it can become, in its larger or largest sizes, a house or possibly a factory, after it has been shipped and has `arrived at its destination.

Most shipping containers do not lend themselves readily to reshipment back to the point from which they started, so there is a real need for a container that does. My self interlocking container exactly and economically fills such a need. During reshipment several of my containers can be locked together.

In the matter of larger structures, my container can be used by itself to house people or as a frame in which other members, such as door members and stair members can be placed. It can be made of pieces of wood fastened together; it can be poured as a metal casting; that is, various members can be so poured; it has the design features to be extruded from moldable plastic, especially in its small size, thereupon being useful as a toy or as an advertising model, quickly to be put together or taken apart by the person or group contemplating its future usage. As a larger structure, several of my containers can be put together side by side, they can be fastened together in their assembled condition in squares or T formation or in other ways, all together on the ground, or on whatever they are to sit on to form a much larger dwelling or other living or working structure. My invention clearly contemplates doing these various things with my container, and having these same structures so assembled and so fastened together when they are completed. Moreover, my container is a completely interlocked and quickly demount-able device. I call special attention to the two top members which once pressed into position hold the other container members in their interlocked position, and firmly. This last feature definitely comes within the scope of my invention as it is herein set forth.

My container can be made of sheet metal, with its embracing anges welded to said sheets, these flanges can be formed of square tubing with each end of the tubes protruding over the edges of my sheets. Bottled or canned goods may be shipped in my containers, par; ticularly when these same goods are enrobed with plastic foam to ensure their arrival without breakage or damage at their destination. Because of its quickly being assembled and disassembled in its various sizes, my container has potential in both its military and civilian usage.

If my container members are to be used in housing structure, they can and preferably must be provided with Windows and doors, and -be glazed with lm or glass or other glazing media all of which is part and parcel of this present embodiment. It may also Vbe used as a 'trailer home, a house boat, or a boat house.

In its structural features my invention is simplicity itself. If it is a box, the side-s, ends and top members of this box are provided along two of ltheir opposite edges with identical (or practically identical) anges, fastened thereon, with ends at each of the two ends protruding over the edge of the sheet itself except in the case of the top members.I In one of the two top members these flanges protrude over and beyond both edges of the sheet member, whereas, in the other top member the ange ends protrude over the edge of the top member- (or beyond it) but at the opposite ends of the ange element in each case the member sheet edge is not reached by the ilanging unit on either side. Therefore, it is possible for the anges protruding from the adjacent top member to lay under the sheet portion of the top member adjacent, while the opposite ends of the flanges in both top members do protrude beyond their sheets and perform their interlocking function with the other container members, namely the four side members, of the interlocking box or container, as the case may be. If my container is to serve as a box, to facilitate its return I may provide each lof the seven members with a hole through which a locking return shipment loop may be threaded with steel strapping for return shipment, especially to insure the return of all the parts Without any of them having been separated and pilfered in the meantime.

On the other hand, if my container is a crate, here the locking loop for the return shipment of all crate parts together may be accomplished best by the loop encircling the ange member parts, or the loop encircling the crate cross pieces, the loop to be locked holding all container members together. In my design the ange elements are preferably of square cross section enabling these portions of the container to carry substantial loads. =By their sturdy nature they are strong, especially when they are fastened directly to wider crate cross members in my preferred crate; that is, in my completely interlocking demountable crate design as here shown. These various features of my invention will be even more apparent as the discussion of my patent drawings proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a front face View of a side or an end, or the bot-tom member of my self-interlocking demountable container in its box form.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View taken through the container member shown in FIGURE l, along the linesV FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken along the lines 3-3 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a top view of my divided top (selfinterlocking) for my container in its box form.

FIGURE 5 is a right hand view of my self-interlocking container in its box form when assembled.

FIGURE 6 is a front view of my self-interlocking con- Y tainer in its box f-orm assembled.

FIGURE 7 is a top corner view of a right hand front corner assemblage of my self interlocking demountable container -in its box form showing the interlocking of the various members (two side members and one of the top members) with each other.

FIGURE 48 is a corner view Afrom underneath of the self interlocking arrangement f my demountable container in its right hand far corner wherein the bottom member is embracing an end member (or side member) which in turn embraces another side (or end) member' by means of integral embracing anges on each of these members (two sides and bottom), said bottom member embracing said side member by .its embracing and interlocking end protruding ilange.

FIGUR-E 9 is an overall prospective view of my container in its crate form, the reference numerals being similar to my container in its box form, as it is shown in all the other views here. In FIGURE 9, my container has a single bottom and a divided top, `a right hand end (or side) member, a left hand end (or side) member, a side member on the front and a side member on the back (as shown in the drawing) all four side members sitting within and being embraced by and interlocked with the bottom member of my container. In FIGURE 9 also, I clearly show how my divided top member (or members) fit down into place `around and embracing two of my side members while being embraced and interlocked with the other two of my side (or end) members. In area Z I show how they (the divided top members) interlock with each other by one going over the other one.

As previously noted, my self-interlocking demountable container either in its box or crate form may be made of pieces and panels of wood, hard board of plastic, or' re; inforced plastic, or metal either in its sheet or cast form.

Broadly it includes seven main parts, four sides (two of the-se being ends) a bottom member, all essentially Similar in their general arrangement of protruding anges and in their self-interlocking ability and a divided top member (in two parts), which, once in place, interlocks with the four sides (including two of these sides as ends) and also interlocks with itself as shown by the numeral (or letter) Z.

The drawings show four side membersV 1, 2, 3, and 4, a bottom member 5 and two top members 6 and 7.

On members 1, 2, 3, and 4, and on bottom member 5, are flange elements numbered 1a and 1b 2a and 2b 3a and 3b 4a and 4b and 5a and 5b. In each instance it will be noted that these flange elements are preferably square in cross section and are firmly Y fastened along the opposite edges of my side members and bottom member and that the ends of these flange elements in each instance protrude over the ends of the panel to which they are fastened (as when my container is built as a box) or beyond my crate cross members (when my container is constructed as a crate). This protrusion takes place in all these five members of my container, and it is the protruding anges that help so materially in the interlocking of my seven members with each other.

In general the drawings show clearly which -anges embrace which side elements, and how the bottom flanges come -up and embrace the two side members exactly as they do. With a container, either as a crate or a box after it is built in this manner, requires neither nails or other fastenings to make it tighter. The only point at which further hardware is required, is in the holding down of top half 7 over top half 6. Here I may use a pin or a screw on each side of my container top 7 that will fasten flange element 7a rmly and tightly into the top of side 1 (on one side) and the element (flange element) in a similar manner on the opposite side (ange element 7b) into the top of side member 2. Then, on each side wire or seal strap seals can be used to join these two locking pins (or pairs of locking pins) on each side (or on opposite sides) of my self-interlocking demountable container.

In accordance with my invention, I either build my containerbottom as a pallet, or in certain instances I construct a pallet under my container bottoms (and attached thereto) for stacking my containers on their arrival to their destination, or in order to stack the container bottoms with goods contained in said bottoms, but with or without the sides and top members around said goods that may have previously been shipped in the completely interlocked demountable container proper (as a box or as a crate). When farm goods are shipped, that are of bulky nature, on their arrival on the farm the goods may be removed from the container, and the container used as a frame for a farm building or as a farm building, itself that is, as a single container, or as several containers with their several sides fastened together, thus making a lon-g building, a square building, or a building with an oblong floor plan, as desired. These containers, when faced with a sturdy film surface (the crate type so arranged), olfer an ideal fishing shack for fishing on the ice in the middle of winter. 'I'hey can be used as dwellings, especially in the Arctic or Antarctic, as greenhouses to raise vegetation in, especially now that there is dan-ger from atomic fallout poisoning of growing food. Likewise they can be useful as playhouses to -shelter children at play and when covered with film they permit a view constantly of what is going on inside the container structure.

When knocked down flat for return shipment, if my container is a crate a chain can be looped through all members and held closed with a padlock. If, on the other hand my container is a box (with solid panels) it is within the scope of my invention to loop my steel strap around all container parts or to provide holes in each of the seven members through which a chain or a steel strap can lbe threaded, and a padlock or other fastener applied to keep all container members together. My container is simple and quick to manufacture, few nails are required in its construction, and no nails are needed (or nailing time and labor consumed) when the container is assembled, and it has no nails that need to be removed when it is disassembled prior to return shipment. Moreover the members when knocked down flat, all pack together in a relatively small space that is, relative to the space the assembled container may occupy. To these and other means and methods of making, assembling, disassembling, packing or unpacking with goods, stacking or unstacking from piles in a Warehouse that is, piles of complete containers of simply container bottoms, all these items my invention fully contemplates.

Searching the box, container and crate art, I have found the U.S. patent to lohn Roderick Thomas, No. 786,858, issued on Apr. 1l, 1905, and I have endeavored to improve this Thomas container, with my novel two piece top (which braces and lifts up the bottom of my container 5 when my top members 6 and 7 (absent in Thomas) are set down into position over side members 1 and 2 and under upper cleats 3a and 4a).

It is evident that when the two top members 6 and 7 are pressed down into position on my interlocking demountable container, the two top end cross pieces, designated on the drawings as numerals 6 and 7 respectively, actually act as fulcrums to accomplish the lifting of the two opposite container ends, thus tightening all of my lower and upper container interlocking corner joints simultaneously` The patent to Thomas shows square cleats 1, 2', 3' and 4. I am now Ibuilding containers where these bulky square cleats have been eliminated and where metal angles have been substituted therefore, angles that are either of rolled steel or other metal yangle or are made up of aluminum or galvanized steel sheet material. I am able also to eliminate these bulky square outside cleats by making the container panels of plywood, hardboard or sheet metal or of molded plastic, whereupon the applied cleats disappear in 4favor of panels which are turned at their edges to form holding flanges the equivalent of said square cleat as shown in patent to Thomas. With such a iiange instead of a cleat construction, it is also Within the purview of my invention to place square or angle cleats or flanges inside of my panels, spaced away from the outside flanges the distance of the thickness of the adjacent panel which is to adjoin the ange (or cleat equivalent). This I do in some instances and in certain containers I miter the corners of my -upturned anges, or where the flange corners are square, I reinforce the ends of adjacent panels to permit the square cornered cleats to sit one above the other at the corners without any slot between the cleat corners, which would be there all along the top of the panel if this method of assembly were not used. Thus, one corner sheet metal flange can, at the container corner, ride on top of another corner sheet metal flange, coming in at right angles to the first mentioned corner sheet metal flange that is under it at the corner of the container, and thus make a satisfactory job.

I also employ -my improved container construction to make a demountable interlocking refrigerating or cold storage box to ship perishables in each of its seven panel members (including the two top members), are padded with a thick plastic foam containing wall that is mounted on each panel element and on the inside thereof, and is beveled all around and cushioned with an elastic (preferably a silicone cord or tape) so that when the container is assembled and the top members are closed down, and the whole container shut and locked, it is then reasonably air tight. Such a container I can load lwith meat, poultry or other perishables, put in Dry Ice or liquid nitrogen, and when it is closed and sealed it represents a carrying device, in other words a container that is new and unique. I have never seen nor heard of a demountable heat insulated container of this kind. Eventually I intend to claim, just such a container or box as my invention.

Any internal cleats or -anges inside 0f my container are, of course, fastened to the insides of the container panels. If any of my containers are made entirely of sheet metal (other than the insulation material mentioned) then any internal flanges are as with the wooden containers, fastened to the inside of the panels.

Much corrugated cardboard is wasted shipping large units of furniture. Ibis also applies to televisions, ice boxes, stoves, washing machines and such units of merchandise with high gloss finishes, that are still not thoroughly protected inside their corrugated cardboard containers, from marring or being scratched during shipment and on their delivery. By using a container such as the one I have disclosed herein the economic savings from their use, both in packaging materials and in the goods that are not so frequently damaged, can be considerable. Those merchants receiving this kind of merchandise will welcome not having large and expensive packaging units to dispose of, and also may be able to pass on to their customers money benets from the absence of expensive packing containers that are only thrown away after they have performed their duty.

My containers are useful as boxes or crates on Wheels, as autos, trucks, buses or the like. They can even be used as house boats, motor boats, sailboats, or boat houses or as motor trailers to be dragged as trucks or living quarters behind an automobile or motorized tractor. I here take occasion to detail how I prefer to construct these various types of containers, especially those destined to carry perishable cargoes over the land, the water or through the air.

In addition to the above description of my container for carrying perishables refrigerated, let me add that I can till my foam (preferably While it is being foamed), with wood shavings or chips, that have previously been waterproofed |by a silicone Waterproofing dip, or some other Waterproofing compound such as vinyl paints or plastics. This same kind of loaded foam can be -used between the double hulls that my house boats or boat houses fit into or sit on. v Foam is apt to be expensive as a buoyance agent in boats. By adding the previously waterproofed shavings or chips, the cost of the foam between the double hulls of ships is decreased and the buoyance value of the foam is not seriously impaired. These are more of my inventions as herein set forth.

I claim:V

A self-interlocking knockdown container, comprising a plurality of walls held together by eight tightly interlocking corners, said container further comprising a tightly corner interlocking bottom, two tightly corner interlocking sides, two tightly corner interlocking ends, and a two-sectioned similarly constructed tightly corner interlocking top, wherein said two ends each have an upper top and double corner interlocking member fastened along the tops of said ends and overhanging said container ends, to whichthey are each fastened, said twosectioned container top having side anges fastened underneath each side of each top section, and extending along the outside of the top edges of said side members and projecting under said upper top overhanging ends of said container ends, thus directly and closely embracing the tops of said two container sides, other container top members abutting said tops of said ends, and secured to said side anges, and still other top members also abutting each other, one of said latter abutting top members overhanging said top side flanges, at their separation points, a container in which, when the two similarly constructed top sections have their corner members fitted under the top corner me two container position over th thereupon stiften an said bottom, the en mbers of said two container ends and said top sections are pressed downward into e tops of said two d tend to tighten the interlocking o f ds and the sides of said container container sides, they with said two-sectioned container top.

References Cited by the Examiner y UNITED STATES PATENTS Weinacht 217-3 Ritter 214-43 Lane et al. 217-56 Kaufman 217- 'Sharp et al. 217-43 OConnell et ai. 217-36 Owens. Slaughter 217-65 Kephart 217-12 Muller et al. 217-43 Pilette 217-12 Clift 135-4 Chapman et al. 217-65 Schoenike -4 France.

7/ 1961 France.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner, RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Examiner. 

